The Raymond Terrace woman only took up the sport in September and was thrilled with the photo-finish win on February 12.

“I’m only a newbie while some of the members have been doing this for 10 or 15 years even,” Barnett said.

“It was ages before I could get through a whole training session without stopping.

“To win this was great for the team.”

The Newcastle Hunter Dragons Abreast Team – like the Dragons Abreast movement – is entirely comprised of breast cancer survivors.

It was 20 years ago that a Canadian sports medicine academic developed a program of dragon boat paddling as an exercise for women recovering from breast cancer.

The Newcastle Hunter team smashed their opponents in the first heat, 50 seconds clear of second.

The won the second race by a much closer two seconds.

In the final it was just less than two-tenths.

“We weren’t even sure we had won,” Barnett said.

“There was screaming, my body was that fatigued.”

Barnett, a single mum, was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer in December 2014, when her daughters were just 14 and 11.

“My attitude has been ‘I have to survive’, I’ve got to be here for my girls,” she said.

While no classed as being in remission, the diagnosis has changed her entire outlook.

“I’ve got to live with this for the rest of my life,” she said.

“Once it’s in your genes you have to go with it and get tested every year.”

Barnett remembers her first day out on the water with fondness.

“The first day I was out on Newcastle Harbour, I thought, ‘this is just magical’,” she said.

“The water is so soothing… it’s great for tuck-shop arms too.”

The Newcastle Hunter Dragons Abreast Team will next have an outing at Speers Point Park on February 26.

The team regularly train on Newcastle Harbour and Throsby Creek.

All men and women who have survived breast cancer and their supporters are welcome to join.

If this interests you contact ‘Melba’ on 4926 2861 to share a little about your journey and your motivation.